A Crimson Umbrella
by Ember-K
Summary: As Kojiro Shinomiya returns home to Tokyo, the Shino's is destroyed in an arson attack, blowing away its symbolic background, ending its cultural significance. But why? And who? Returning also means renewing old bonds and finally re-engaging with a particular, and meaningful relationship that may go into full bloom this time.
1. Your restaurant has been burnt down

_**Full summary**_ : "The Shino's" is destroyed in an arson attack, following Kojiro's trip to Japan, to visit his mother at Tokyo. The latter ends up by extending his stay, pending the completion of the major renovation works. Of course, his right-hand woman Inui Hinako, is the first to help out with the investigation, even though those two still get along as well as cats and dogs...

Yet, the coy interest they had for each other in high school could now (perhaps ?) bloom into something else, thus leading both of the cooks to a particular path which is not always an easy one.

 _ **Notes**_ : Hi! Actually we're two authors writing this story. We hope that this first chapter (prologue?) will catch your interest people ! Also, it's a slow-burn romance type. You'll find a « Shokugeki No Souma : L'étoile » reference too !

❁ The order of introducing names is _last name first name._

Don't own Shokugeki no Souma.

* * *

 _"Hinako..." Kojiro noticed the second seat crying on a swing. To tell the truth, Mizuhara Fuyumi, a fellow classmate of his, had forced him to run after her. Anyway, she turned her head straight off the bat in the opposite way._

 _"Senpai, you don't understand." she paused, "why I'm so angry"._

 _"Like hell I can ! Why are you ?" he scratched the back of his head._

 _She sent him a dirty look as she stood up. "Why didn't you tell us before ? Are you that indifferent about us ?"_

 _Her voice had betrayed her. And her heart ? She could almost hear it pound against her chest... It ached, but in a good way._

 _"That senpai had such a beautiful dream, such an important thing.. I wanted to know about it earlier !" she got all teary-eyed. "Then I could cheer for you from the bottom of my heart !"._

 _As he lightly blushed, he stretched out his hand to give her a pat on the head._

 _"Now that it's come to this..." she muttered. "Let's have a shokugeki !" she shouted, breaking the silence._

 _"Huh ?" he shouted as well, pulling his hand back._

 _"If you defeat me in a shokugeki, I'll accept you going to france ! Defeat me in order to go to france !"_

 _A few hours later the three judges had already chosen the winner. It read "Shinomiya" on each of their small pieces of paper._

 _"Well, just as expected." he casually said, wearing a smug face._

 _"Of course..." she brooded silently._

 _"Hey Hina-"_

 _"Now I can send senpai off.. with a smile.." she spoke, defeated._

 _"Hinako..." he drew closer to her, "I'll... definitely make it big in France. So don't cry anymore." he clenched his fists, before eventually stroking the lass's head._

 _"Of course you will.." she smiled._

 _Well that was the last time she ever saw Kojiro being friendly.._

* * *

"Yeah I've just landed." Kojiro informed his mother on the phone, as he collected his luggage from the carousel. "Yep", "Okay", and "I will" were the only words that came out of his mouth whenever he got phone calls from her. In fact, we could say that she was quite the hyper one, never letting him place a word. And this time, she was far more excited than usual.

"Nee Kojiro-kun."

He could already feel her grinning face behind the screen.

"Yes ?"

"I hope that you'll surprise me and bring a woman with you this time." she mockingly teased him.

"Huh ?" he shouted so loud every innocent passer-by frozed their movements to stare at the salmon pink-haired man.

" 'Kaasan. We've already discussed this." he practically growled in response.

"I know, I know. I suppose I shouldn't expect you to meet someone with that bad temper of yours."

" ' _Kaasan_.." he slightly raised his voice.

"Anyway, hurry up Kojiro-kun, lunch is waiting for you !"

She directly hung up.

"Really.." he muttered. Only five minutes spent in Japan and he already felt consumed. It was around noon and his flight had lasted for about eleven hours. Talk about exhaustion.

" _Where's the exit again ?_ " he thought to himself before getting a second call from a co-worker, Fujiwara Mei. Actually she owned a chinese restaurant in the same district as him, hence having more like a competitive relationship with him.

" _Why would she call me ?_ " he blinked as he slid his finger to answer the call. "Fujiwara-san ?" he asked. He could hear her sigh from the other line.

"I already told you to call me _Mei_." she replied in a annoyed tone.

"Why are you calling me ?"

"Always so straightforward huh.." she said back, playfully. "Listen. There's something you need to know..."

"About what ?"

"Your restaurant... has been burnt down.."

⁂

A single word to describe Hinako's saturday morning ? Relieving.

As a head chef, having busy weeks wasn't an option, and scheduling some down time to decompress and simply relax was the best thing ever.

Hinako was trying to hold down her laughter as she watched her favorite show on her laptop.

After a minute or two... she suddently received an incoming call from Kojiro. And it looked like it was his local phone number... "Wait what ?" she thought for a second. He rarely contacted anyone, let alone herself.

Then it hit her.

"Shinomiya-senpai's back ?!" she blurted out, taken by complete surprise. "Wait a minute... no way."

Why would he come back without saying a word in the first place ?

Then it stopped ringing.

"What the hell Shinomiya-senpai !" she shouted out as she quickly redialed, only to find her call declined.

"No" she said to herself as she redialed it once again. But the phone rang three times before going to voicemail.

She ended the call, but she had no intention to let the matter slide. Even if it was saturday—also known as one of her days off— she applied a small amount of foundation on her face, lipgloss and some mascara. "If he's messing around, then he's in big trouble." she rushed out of her room on her way to the " Shino's". She wasn't sure she'd meet him there though ; and even if she didn't, she'd shift towards his apartment.

⁂

"Damn it." Kojiro breathed, squeezing his phone he was stiffly keeping in hand.

Was Mei telling the truth ? Naturally, he was heading down there to check it out. After getting in a taxi, he called on his employees and Abel Blondin—"Shino's Tokyo"'s new head chef— in order to gather around the supposed crime scene ; a natural reaction to the expected conditions.

But he realised he had dialed the wrong number when he noticed four missed calls from "Baka n°1" alias Hinako when he originally wanted to call "Baka n°2" (Abel). It was pointless of course, having two contacts named "Baka". Still, both of them were morons in their own ways. And he knew damn well that Hinako'd harass him for not letting her know. "That annoying dimwit.." he muttered under his breath, to which the driver gave him a strange look.

"So," he began matter-of-factly, "Are we going or what ?"

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	2. Did Kojiro come home with a woman?

_**Notes**_ : Hi everyone, we really feel guilty after being gone for a month, but studies always come first, right ? Thank you so much for the favs, follows and reviews !

Itamae : a cook.

* * *

Kojiro was a perfectionist : he was just not prepared to settle for anything mediocre. Every detail was important and he never forgot to remind his employees that they were right to be intimidated. He always made sure to keep them strictly on the straight and narrow.

But idiots should never be left alone.

So when it was time for him to return to Paris therefore leaving his restaurant behind, he had to delegate some of his responsibilities to a subordinate. And it came down to one man, Abel. He was the one he thought would never betray his trust and would guide them through the maze of business networks.

Well apparently not... seeing that the restaurant's been destroyed. How was he supposed to feel about that ?

As soon as he got out and paid off the taxi driver, a craving press rushed over to him. It didn't take him long to realize that he was completely surrounded, in a flash.

But his mind already went blank.

He couldn't even focus on what he was being asked. It was probably bullshit anyway.

"—can you tell us what happened ?"

"—the investigation ?"

"Why—"

"—cost ?"

He forced himself not to grab one of them by the collar, and shove him his mic down his throat.

All he could feel now was an intense shock shaking in his body. And frustration... The walls were blackened and charred. A pool of ash covered it all. And the unflagging smell of smoke kept filling his nostrils.

He spotted his employees gathered next to a yellow caution tape along with policemen and firemen. The whole thing looked like a crime scene.

His employees, Lucy, Gao and Abel were heatly arguing about something. He approached them silently and cleared his throat to state his presence.

They all stopped talking and turned to face him, startled. " _Didn't he... just land ?_ " They all thought.

"Care to explain ?"

After looking at him for almost 5 seconds—wide-eyed—one of them finally had the guts to talk.

It was Abel.

"Hum, Shinomiya-san, I can assure you that we are just as clueless as are about this. We hurried over here after seeing off the pictures on news report ..." he began nervously, Lucy and Gao confirming it with a nod. "The incident occured during night-time hours so the restaurant was supposedly closed so-"

"So how the hell did that happen?" Kojiro cut him off. His patience was wearing thin. "So someone broke into the restaurant when you were the only ones with a spare key?"

"W-Well.. I can understand that you're upset right now. And I'm willing to take the consequences." Lucy bowed low trying to save her coworker from Kojiro's rising wrath. He motionned for her to stop. He had no intention of firing anyone. "We really don't know how it happened but we will do everything to find the culprit!" Gao exclaimed.

Kojiro sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"... Have you talked to the police?" He asked, feeling tired of all this mess.

"Yeah, just a minute ago. They wanted to talk to you too" Abel spoke.

"Alright"

He made his way towards the police all the while trying to figure what exactly went wrong with his luck.

⁂

"I can't believe he didn't notify me !"

Hinako was fuming. Not only did Shinomiya come back to Japan without her knowing but he didn't even bother answering her calls ! Oh, he was going to hear her opinion on his inconsideration !

She was so angry that she didn't take the time to arrange her hair or put on decent make-up.

She rushed outside and hailed the first taxi she saw, then yelled the Shino's address, much to the poor driver's surprise.

And now there she was, regretting her outburst and ashamed of the way she was dressed. At least, she had the decency to put her—messy—hair in a high ponytail.

"Why am I even doing this ? Why should I even care ?" she muttered to herself.

He has always been doing things on his own, never calling to give some news about him. Because that was the kind of person he was.

Solitary ...

Just when she was considering going back, she noticed the Shino's through the window, totally burnt down with a small crowd of people in front of it. There were police officers, the Shino's employees and him, looking exactly the same as he did the last time she saw him.

What on earth happened here ?

"Please, can you drop me off here ?" she shouted louder than expected, giving him random change out of her purse.

The driver took it in a state of great perplexity.

"Hum, Ma'am..."

"Keep the change!" she shouted, getting out of the car and rushing towards her senpai.

Even if he didn't care, she did, and she'd make sure he knew that.

They had a promise, after all ...

"So, were you still in Europe when it happened ?" The cop asked, eyeing Kojiro and accurately taking notes.

"I already told you, I was at the airport half an hour ago." Kojiro replied, growing impatient.

His mother had already called him three times and he was sure she'd worry if he didn't call her back. But those goddamned officers couldn't help but ask the same questions again and again. It was truly infuriating.

"And you said that you've received a call from a colleague ?"

"Yes"

"Fujiwara Mei-san, was it? And how did she know it ?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask it to _her_ instead ?"

"Right, we'll have to get her here."

The cop then turned away to discuss with his colleagues as Kojiro sighed in relief. Now he could finally phone his mother ...

"SENPAI !"

Oh no ...

He didn't even need to turn around to know whose high-pitched voice it was. That annoying woman ...

"How dare YOU !" she yelled, her voice getting closer as she approached him.

All the policemen stopped everything they were doing to stare at her, in an alarming way. His employees tried to hold their laughter, obviously finding the situation entertaining.

He took his phone out of his pocket, deciding to simply ignore her.

Damn, 5 calls from his mother...

"Don't ignore me !"

When he looked up, she was right in front of him, hands on her hips, with frowned eyebrows on a red angry face. Why was she even here ?

"I have no time to argue with you, I have to make a call." he said dryly putting an end to any further discussion.

Well ... he already knew it wouldn't be that easy...

"No, you answer my question first Shinomiya-senpai !" She threw her hand in the air, "What happened here ? How did it happen ?! Why are you here ?"

"Are you stupid ? That's three questions. And I'm not answering because that's none of your business." he said, carrying his phone to his ear, the thing already dialing.

"Shinomiya-senpai !"

She jumped up to reach for his arm and pulled it down on her chest.

"Hello, Kojiro-kun ?" his mother answered the phone, " oh my god, where are you ?"

"'Kaasan ?" Kojiro struggled, pushing Hinako's face away, " Idiot ! Let go of me !"

"Not until you tell what happened !"

Everyone focused on them, not knowing what to do. A cop leaned towards the Shino's employees. "Is she his girlfriend ?" he whispered.

They immediately shot him weird looks before bursting into laughter. "Oh my god, never say it in front of him !" Lucy blurted out "they're just old friends and that's their "thing". Don't mind them"

The others nodded in agreement.

"Where are you ? What's that noise ?"

"Don't worry it's just one of my annoying fangirls- ow! What the-!" Hinako just bit him on the arm.

"Who do you call a fangirl senpai? You weren't even that popular-"

"Shut up" he interrupted her, pushing her to the ground and sitting on her. "Don't worry I'm gonna be there in a minute."

He then hung up.

"You're not going anywhere !" she managed to talk as he stood up and made his way out.

"Hey !" she kept at it.

"Don't follow me Hinako !"

Duh. Of course she would.

"Well.." the cop commented on, wearing an embarrassed smile.

"Poor Hinako-san.." Lucy spoke as she scratched the back of her head.

"At least she managed to lighten up the mood ?" Abel followed suit, a bit confused about their relationship though.

⁂

From the time they arrived at the front door, Hinako was already getting fired up about meeting Kojiro's mother again. They had met up a couple of years earlier without him knowing. Though it's not like it was supposed to be a secret or anything.

He narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows when he noticed the beam in her eyes. "Aren't you supposed to go back home now ?" Kojiro's voice was craggy. "You're so mean Shinomiya-senpai !" she bursted out, curling her hands into fists at his obvious exasperation. "We haven't seen each other in a while and this is how you treat me ?" she said in a more little girl sounding voice. "Besides, you're the one at fault for not telling me you were coming to visit."

He gave her a disapproving look as he sighed and reached for the doorbell. "Whatever."

Actually, it was embarrassing for him to be accompanied by a woman.

 _And_ , he still couldn't get over the shock of discovering an ash cloud instead of a two-storey building exhibiting his hard work. It was the second grand project he had _organized_ and finished.

A red haze covered his vision as he clenched his jaw.

The « Shino's Tokyo » was as important as the one in Paris for him, and he'd make sure the culprit learned the value of money and the value of hard work too. They probably hated him for them to do something like that. But one thing they didn't know about him, was how he liked making people who already hated him, hate him more.

Hinako noticed the fine tremor of his tense body, but before she could say anything the gate opened and Kojiro's mother herself stood before them.

"Kojiro-kun !" she beamed, as she jumped up to hug him.

Good, thanks to her the mood had changed back to normal.

"Welcome back home !"

" _Tadaima_..." he muttered, as he scratched his cheek. He was also trying to hide away a blush at which Hinako blinked and stood dumbstuck.

That's why he didn't want her to follow him home.

"Eh ? Is everything okay ?" she asked as her foot landed back on the ground. It was as if she already felt how he burned on the inside. "Can we talk about it later." She nodded and turned to meet Hinako's gaze. "I can see that you brought a woman with you this time ! I'm proud of you !".

And once again, the situation took a new turn.

"Slow your roll there 'kaasan, it's only Hinako. A former schoolmate-"

"Oh hi there Hinako-chan ! I almost didn't recognize you !"

"Hi Kaoru-oba-san ! Long time no see !"

Kojiro's eyebrow twitched. Hinako... chan ? Kaoru-oba-san ? How did she know his mother's name ?

"Thanks for coming along with Kojiro-kun. I know he feels worn out after a marathon flight like that and having a supportive friend with him couldn't be any better."

"He actually didn't want me along oba-san" she wiped away a fake tear.

"Really ? I can't believe this." she threw a sideways glance to him, whereas Hinako sneered at him, "That's why he made no new friends after high school, he's quite reserved and always harsh to people."

"He's lucky he's kept in touch with you three at least." Kaoru whispered into her ear.

"We had to force him though" she held on to the gossiping. "Do you know he almost expelled a cute pig-tailed chef a few months ago ? Her name is Megumi-chan. We had to go through a secret shokugeki no one knows about until now, to let her pass."

A vein popped out of Kojiro's forehead as he listened to their whispering campaign, about himself of course.

That's why he didn't want them to meet either. Even though he didn't know they already knew each other. That was even beyond provocation at this point.

He raised a brow as he shot them an awfully scornful look, especially directed at Hinako.

"Why don't you stay for lunch ?"

"Oh.. I.. Uhm.."

"Come on my dear, don't be shy."

"I guess I have to if you insist.."

Why did it not surprise him ?

At that, he effortlessly dragged his luggage on the lawn as he crossed it. There was indeed a front yard before reaching the front entry.

"Heyy Kojiro-kun, won't you invite your guest in ?" Kaoru exclaimed in a joking tone.

He didn't bother answering.

⁂

The fragrance of insense was heavy. As always.

Because there was a second household member awaiting "The Légumes magician" 's return. And it was none other than his grandma.

He dropped his baggage on the fluffy white rug as he checked the place out. Not much had changed since his last visit, nop. Plus he could see lettuce leaves from afar, tossed in a creamy cesar sauce served with buttery garlic bread on the dining table. Looks like they were having a light and healthy salad as a first course.

"Did Kojiro come home with a woman ?" his grand-mother shouted, popping out of nowhere. It looked like she had just finished putting on a new kimono. "Damn belt!" she muttered to herself as she struggled to tighten the belt around her waist.

"... What are you doing baa-baa ?" he winced.

A sudden silence hung in the air as they both scanned each other's faces, waiting for a reaction. Until she broke it.

"Kojiro !" she yelled as she pointed her finger at him accusingly, only to be met by a blank stare from him.

"Welcome back home, itamae" she smiled, "you have been missed."

He just kept staring at her ...

"... Tadaim-"

"That's what you expected me to say huh, you fool !" she shouted as she smashed him in the stomach. She was about five feet tall (almost) but she sure was fierce.

As he landed on the floor—shoving the chair right behind him against the wall—he groaned in pain, and started to swear.

"Watch your language young man !"

"What's wrong with you !"

Though it was creepy to see her being overly nice like that.

"I have spared no effort in putting this new kimono on, because I was certain you'd bring up a beautiful lady here ! And now what ? I have been just bluffed again."

"The hell ?" he shot back, "I never said that ! And you're talking as if I've already hinted a thing !"

She turned her head away and hmphed.

It took him a minute to gather his cool... Then he finally got it.

"... It was only your way to say hello." he stared at her blankly. It didn't sound like a question. "Oh well... It's fine as long as you get it." she admitted as she crossed her arms.

Hinako and Kaoru eventually reached the front entrance, after taking their time in the garden.

"Ohayō gozaimasu." Hinako bowed as soon as she noticed Kojiro's grandmother.

She stared at her, trying to figure out why another woman than her daughter stood before her.

After an awkward moment, the latter's mouth twitched upwards on the left, dimpling her cheek. " _Kojiro, you sneaky little puppy_ " she thought.

Hinako looked innocent to her eyes. She had a beautiful smile, along with soft, and feminen curves. She was certainly larger than a catwalk model but, something radiated from within that rendered her charming.

"I can't believe it." she smiled from ear to ear as she focused on their guest. "You never fail to surprise me Kojiro... Were you acting antisocial all this time to bowl us over ?"

"What ?"

" _I can see that Kojiro-kun's been knocked to the ground again_ " Kaoru giggled when she noticed his posture.

"Consider yourself at home my dear" his grandma declared, "it's a miracle Kojiro's even introduced you to us. A beautiful woman like you shouldn't be made to tolerate his lack of kindness.." she held both Hinako's hands as a sign of endearment with her.

On the other side, she couldn't stop blushing at the unexpected compliments. "Eheh I'm nothing special obaasan, but thank you." she smiled, "Also, I don't know what's happening here but if you're wondering why I'm here it's because Shinomiya-senpai's attempted to come to Japan without warning any of his friends, including me." she sent him a frustrated look.

" _Friend ?_ "... " _Shinomiya... senpai ?_ " Koaru's mother felt the hype surrounding her, plummet.

Kojiro noticed it, as he stood back up. "Back over to what you've said baa-baa" he replaced his glasses and continued, "how is _that_ a beautiful woman ?" he added emphasis to the word "that". How could someone think that he had any sort of romantic engagement with that dimwit ?

"What did you just say to me Shin-"

It didn't take long for him to receive a blow on the head from his grandmother. A second time.

"Tch." he refrained himself from cursing.

Hinako on her side, was petrified by her sudden burst of strength...

"Haven't I taught you to respect women ! Ahō !". She had a strong Kyūshū accent too.

"Well that escalated quickly..." Kaoru spoke, not looking concerned for her son.

"Now now," his grandmother brushed the imaginary dust off her hands in a satisfied manner, "it's time for lunch."

"Yeah have a seat, everyone." Koaru clasped her hands together.

"Don't mind him." his grandmother forestalled Hinako, who couldn't help but pity Kojiro, and couldn't bring herself to speak.. "R-Roger that !" she saluted her.

Now she saw from who Kojiro got his sharpness from.

What a feisty grandma she was.

As he merely listened to them, he suddently received a phone call from an unknown number.

He answered on the first ring..

"Hello this is Shinomiya Kojiro speaking. May I ask who's calling ?"

"Shinomiya Kojiro. I can see you witnessed the surprise we planned for you.."

* * *

⁂


	3. Hire me

**_Notes_** : Bonjour people. You guys are the best! All this feedback is really pleasant. We're glad to know so many of you are interested. This story might go into a little break again (back at it again with the work avalanche..) but it's okay, don't worry.

So as you can see, there are new characters in this fiction. Tsukuda has only presented us a few of the former Elite Ten ; Shinomiya being the first seat, Fuyumi and Hinako being the second seats. So here is our non-canon third seat, Leonov Kaede (from Hinako's generation).

On to chapter four !

Pravil'no (Правильно) means : Correct.

This chapter is rated M.

* * *

Hamasaki Kazuma was an efficient man. Everyone agreed on that. He was very well known, respected in his workplace, and confident in his ability to do his job. The one thing he knew was, the more eyes peering at a mystery, the greater chance of it being solved. Most of the time he was serious and strict with his fellow officers. Except when he stepped out of the station at the end of the day. He was pretty chill and fun after work.

"Sir !"

His underling's voice made him jump.

"Sorry, what ?" he spoke, as he turned to her. Her eyes rested on him in concern. "H-Have you eaten today ? Are you okay ?"

"Yeah, I'm decent. Is there anything new on the case ?" he asked matter-of-factly. She eyed him doubtfully before she handed him multiple copies of the same picture. It was a passport-size photo of a woman.

"We went to the airport this morning and asked the check-in staff to tell us more about the flight Aiko Suzuki was on." she explained. "It's her."

He looked closely at it for a few seconds and said, "They don't look alike."

"... Who and who ?"

"Did they tell you who she was travelling with ?"

"Apparently she had two kids with her..." she replied, with a tone genuinely confused. Thus the inspector crossed his arms and smirked, as if he hit something. "The woman I interviewed that night had short black hair and wore bangs. And she was whispering, knowing that I couldn't hear her well with the firemen's siren behind. As if she tried to hide her voice." he pondered. "And she told me she was travelling _alone_." he continued.

"... So one of them is an imposter ?" she assumed.

"Not _one_ of them, it's pretty obvious. But for now, do as I say."

⁂

She ran her fingers down his spine, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them. Kaede let herself sink deeper into the kiss as he groaned softly, his arms circling her and savouring her lips. She inhaled sharply, allowing his tongue to caress hers. "I'll never get tired of this..." Kaede whispered softly as she pressed her lips to his again.

Leonov Kaede was the former third seat of Totsuki's eightieth generation. Russian from her father, she decided to start her own russian restaurant chain in Tokyo and appeared to be successful. Right now... she was sharing a heated moment with her boyfriend.

His hand dropped to her thigh as she chuckled quietly.

Their kiss was so sudden that they didn't take the time to turn off the TV which was displaying a few breaking news.

"-here is the top story about the on going election campaign in..."

She eased her hands accross his shoulders and took his jacket off while he gently kissed her collarbone...

"-at another point nearby, the newly opened restaurant called the Shino's burned in arson attack three days ago."

She suddently stopped—killing all the tension—though he was still ogling her. "Honey.." she breathed, "Wait." the blond woman turned to face the tv. There were ashes images sliding on the screen, sticked on the blackened walls. Though the restaurant didn't burn down to its skeleton; it was ugly to watch, but not _that_ unsightly. "The Shino's..?" she pondered. "Isn't it Shinomiya-san's..."

"What's wrong ?" he frowned, misunderstanding the situation a bit.

She recalled a few memories of her high school years and withdrew for a second. She remembered when she put her hair in bunches at the back of her head because she thought it fitted the shape of her head. Oh, and that teacher named Chapelle-sensei. A lot of teachers couldn't stand her... but _he_ was a hurricane. And it was mutual, she _couldn't_ forget him.

"Kaede !"

"Y-Yeah ?" she smiled and turned back to him as he lifted his eyebrow. "Excuse me, excuse me." she exaggerated a sad expression. "Who's Shinomiya-san ?" he loosened his hold. She took his hands back and placed one of them on her chest. "It's nobody, _just_ an old acquaintance..." she stared at him, as she rubbed his palm with her thumb to which he pouted slightly. He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "We should turn it off this time." he winked at her as he took the remote and pointed it at the television. "Pravil'no." she replied.

Kaede chuckled again and jumped up to seat on the dining table she was leaning on seconds ago. She adopted a more opened-legged stance in invitation, and joyfully threw her arms wide at him.

When they finally set a stable and quiet mood, they resumed their kissing. A kiss that had blown in so randomly.

He bent his head into her neck and slowly unbuttonned her blouse while she helped him by pulling her arms from the sleeves.

He sat up, kissed her stomach and went up to her lips again.

Needless to say that they lost themselves in the heat of the moment.

⁂

What did it feel like to have an audience all around you in the kitchen ? The answer was...

" _They're a pain in the a ss..._ " Kojiro ruminated.

" _Great !_ " Hinako smiled. " _They're so sweet !_ "

In the huge kitchen of Komorebi were two poles. The young cooks willing to improve their cooking skills after seeking advice from Hinako. And the other half _expecting_ to discover new recipes and cooking techniques from Kojiro.

"It's Shinomiya-sama's son !"

He tried to ignore the quiet voices behind him.

"Yeah ! He's handsome, isn't he ?" the cooks giggled. "And talented !" someone else joined in the whispering. "He's much more composed than Mori-san.. I wish he could come here and take a leaf out of his book." 'Mori-san' was their superior's name. And also the chef who got sick at the wrong time...

He suddently shoved two plates accross the countertop as their expression changed.

Sweat slowly ran down their faces. "The mushroom risotto and _la bouillabaisse_ are ready to be served." he didn't bother looking up.

They all paused as if their thoughts had stopped completely. The onions were finely chopped, the rice looked fresh, filled with wild and juicy mushrooms. The air was saturated with spicy perfume, forcing them to watch it as if they hadn't eaten for weeks. As for the bouillabaisse, it was a traditional french dish originating from the port city of Marseille. It smelled rich, promising a delightful taste. "Shut up and do your job instead of talking trash about your colleague." he continued with a venomous glance.

"Y-Yes sir..!" they all quickly scattered away.

Yup, Hinako was right when she said that he couldn't connect with people. Abel, Gao and Lucie were lucky people as we could see. Speaking of which, they've had a little confrontation with Kojiro and his family earlier in the morning :

 _"_ _What the heck ?" Lucie tensed up._

 _"These are even tighter than Shinomiya Chef's..." Gao mentionned the ropes that vigorously bound them to the chairs they were tied up on._

 _"This is embarrassing..." Abel shook his head._

 _"The moment of truth has arrived." grandma gave them a patronizing look. She was the one who had them immobilized._

 _They had been lured to Kojiro's place, thinking that they were invited. "Chef, what is the meaning of this ?" Abel looked up at him, confused._

 _"I'm sorry, but I don't know who I can trust." Kojiro clarified as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "And I wanna make sure that you three at least, are loyal to me."_

 _"What ? We're gonna go through a second interrogation ?" Lucie shivered. "We would never do that, you know it." Gao defended herself._

 _"I know." he responded. "'Cause we already found the culprit."_

 _"What !" they all said in unison._

 _It was impossible._

 _The air became suddently so brittle it could snap._

 _"Seriously ?" Lucie shouted even louder. "Who is it ?" Abel followed suit._

 _Kojiro and his grandma stared at each other for a second, and nodded._

 _"That two-faced witch." grandma narrowed her eyes. "To think that I even invited her in my own house." she clenched her fist._

 _"Who ?" Gao frowned._

 _"It's Hinako." Kojiro declared, trying to mask his emotions._

 _He watched their faces change and express shock as he gritted his teeth. Inui Hinako, one of Kojiro's closest friend, his confidant. Her betrayal wasn't easy to accept and there was no right way to accept it. "Inui Chef ?.." Lucie repeated on but couldn't believe her ears. "No way..." Gao suddently felt teary... and upset. Abel was at a loss for words._

 _"Yes my dear. But luckily she's in custody right now." grandma added. "The police arrested her yesterday. All clues seem to point to her but apparently she wasn't alone that night, or so she says." she continued._

 _"Wait so she confessed ..?" Gao exclaimed, as if she still had hope that all of this was a mistake. "Yes she did. Or maybe you know something we don't ?" grandma raised her eyebrow. "No..." she lowered her tone._

 _"So Inui-san's the one who stole our restaurant from us.." Abel's voice was poison._

 _"You're the only ones I've informed when I was coming, besides my family. So I know you have something to do with this." Kojiro spoke up, to which their eyes widened in a 'i'm-not-guilty' expression. "After what she's done I'm ready to get her deeper into water, but I want the truth."_

 _"But-" Lucie started only to be cut by Kojiro's grandma. "Look at this." she held up a sheet of lined paper._

 _"The prosecutor accepted to give you immunity." Kojiro noted. "Now tell me the truth. What happened friday night ?" he emphasised each word._

 _None of them talked._

 _But the sheer wrath in Kojiro's eyes made them nervous. Kojiro had always been an inspiration, a guide, and a friend for them. From Paris to Tokyo, the bond they had formed and shared over the years was real, and it was wholesome. "I didn't do it, believe it or not." Abel said, unsure of what to say. "Me neither. And I'm sure that Inui-san's covering someone..." Lucie voiced, tears of pain running down her face. "You should give her that immunity instead. You know very well that she isn't capable of this.." Gao spoke, shifting her gaze to the floor._

 _Kojiro simply glared at them, expressionless._

 _But after a few seconds, the corner of his mouth twitched into his cheek._

 _"Bravo !" grandma applaused as she swiftly untied the ropes. "You're very austere Kojiro, but you surround yourself with good people at least."_

 _"Huh ?" Lucie blinked. Gao and Abel stared at them in a questionning way. What just happened ?_

 _"You've passed." Kojiro said briefly "We've made that up to test you."_

 _"Whew, bad mouthing Hinako was harsh." grandma removed drops of sweat off her face. "This immunity stuff is just a blank paper. See ?" she took it out of its folder._

 _They gave them a blank stare... That was too much..._

 _"Their acting skills... are on point." Kaoru thought as she had watched the whole scene in silence._

 _"I guess I can trust you from now on."_

On the other side of the room, Hinako was putting on a mist show.

"Don't forget to check on the chicken, your dish may be done before you know it." she stated. "Yes ma'am !"

She artistically cut dozens of cucumbers and rubbed the slices in salt. "Can someone take care of the soy broth ?" she exclaimed, without taking her eyes off her knife.

"Okay !"

"One sukiyaki is ready to be served !" she continued.

Steam was filling the place, and licking every corner of it. Everyone seemed to become silhouettes against a blanket of white. And the sweet aroma was carried in it, topping Kojiro's spicy fragrance. The only one who could be seen shining was Hinako, the Mist Empress.

Kojiro was observing her out of the corner of his eye.

She worked in perfect coordination with the other cooks. She had been so annoying with Kojiro these last few years that he even forgot what her serious mode looked like.

He forgot her _one_ asset that blew her up to the second seat at Totsuki.

"The chicken's tender now !" one of them yelled. "Thanks ! Now sprinkle sesame on it to garnish it a little." she said softy. "I'll do it !" a young man called out. "No stay here." Hinako stopped him. "Let her do it and help me out with the soba I'm starting, please." she gave him a smile. "A-Alright."

She could easily spot the strengths and weaknesses of the chefs she partnered up with. And that in a short amount of time. She was also called an empress because she knew how to lead a team of people she didn't know, and hold them together.

"Why though ?" he asked.

"That chef." Hinako replied, "She's new isn't she ?"

"Yeah. But if she wasn't skilled enough my boss would've not hired-"

"She has back pain too, right ?" she continued. The cooked nodded, disbelief around his lips and eyes. "Wait... Don't tell me she started to complain _in front_ of you ?" he widened his eyes. "No, not at all." Hinako shook her hand up and down. "I only noticed her way of walking, and she's got flat feet. Although it's not uncommon, 'cause I'm like that too." she scratched the back of her head. "She doesn't stand with proper posture as well so I think she shouldn't help us out with tough dishes like soba. But I'll make sure to give her tips to improve, at the end of the day." she explained.

"Oh..." was all he could utter.

"Back pain can set in easily, and yup, it's _really_ sharp."

Looks like she knew more than a little bit on this subject.

And so they kept the momentum going, and cooked like that for hours.

⁂

"Is everything fine sir ?" Kaoru knocked in the door. The hotel rater had arrived less than an hour ago and demanded to stay in the room 201, that apparently, had a nice view. "You can go downstairs anytime, lunch's ready." she voiced.

"Don't worry about me, I'm good." he replied. "It really _is_ a nice place here." he noted.

It looked like his words had made her day. "Thank you so much." she grinned behind the closed door. She turned away to leave when she suddently heard a loud thud against the bedroom door.

"H-Hey, are you okay ?" she rushed back.

"Y-Yeah... Sorry, I'm a little tired..."

"Right.."

She left with a questionning look on her face..

⁂

Kojiro took a little break to quench his thirst. But of course, the fridge was placed in Hinako's 'area'. He had a bad feeling about this.

That's when Hinako suddently sneered, and whispered into the sous-chef's hear. "Oho~ our traditional dishes are _way_ better than Shinomiya-senpai's fancy cuisine."

"Huh ?" the sous-chef blurted out in confusion.

"But let's be honest, all this bragging is unnecesary considering the-"

She was cut off when Kojiro immediately grabbed her head and lifted her up in the air. "S-Sorry." she gasped out as she wiggled her feet at him.

"What the ?!" the sous-chef panicked and dropped his wooden spoon. The other ones gathered around them, watching what was going on.

"I could see where this was going." Kojiro stated, to which she grunted more. "Let me go Shinomiya-senpai ! How violent ! How shamele-"

"Be quiet. Why can't you just be normal for once ?" he shot back, as he nonchalantly gulped a mouthful of water from a mini bottle.

"I-Inui Chef ?" a few cooks stammered, not sure if they should, or even, _could_ intervene.

" _En passant_ , I can overhear compliments about my 'fancy cuisine' in there." he mentionned the dining room in which his french dishes were added to the kaiseki ; a multi-course meal. "Well that's because they don't expect to eat french food in a ryokan." she shrugged, a trace of smugness in her voice.

"Which is why it highlights today's meal." he replied confidently as he put her down. "And tomorrow's."

" _Finally !_ " they all thought together.

She gritted her teeth in silence. "Fine ! We'll make a poll tonight then !" she shouted. He raised a brow at that. "Which type of cuisine conquered their hearts today." she continued as she crossed her arms.

He smirked as he returned back to work. "You've got some nerve." he scoffed. "I hope you won't challenge the results at the end."

"W-Wait is this a contest ?!" the sous-chef shouted.

"What's going on here..." another chef chipped in.

Hinako bit her lip and turned back to her soba. She threw a ball of dough together, and kneaded it with surprising strength.

"So fast !" a few of them exclaimed.

"Maybe she can handle it alone..." the sous-chef sighed and picked up his wooden spoon.

⁂

"Thank you very much. I look forward to hearing from you shortly." Mei hanged up the phone. She'd just ordered food supplies—such as fortune cookies and noodles—for the next day.

She sighed, leaning back on her bed with her eyes closed.

She didn't work on Monday afternoons so she took this opportunity to relax and release pressure a bit.

She opened her eyes and caught her reflection in the mirror, which was facing the bed. She stared into her short, black hair, with one side smashed from the pressure of her head against the pillow. "My bangs are starting to grow out." she noted as she pulled a string of her hair and looked at its length. "I should get a haircut."

Not to mention that Shinomiya, her toughest rival in the corner, was back.

And she couldn't deny that he was good-looking. And that she often thought about spending more time with him.

She had already met him a few years ago in Paris, where she studied food sciences. They met in a random restaurant where she was completing an internship. Both of them were Totsuki alumni, from different countries, Japan and China. They rarely talked to each other due to his unfaltering determination. Sometimes she found it scary, but, he was _a true ace_. The two of them had managed to catch the headchef's attention, with their skills. Since Totsuki graduates had naturally frightening presences.

He was different though.

She always felt like a pufferfish, able to protect herself from the predators by turning into a ball shape. But with Kojiro, she was forced to check at the surface lest him, the eagle, plunged down.

That's how he received the _Pluspol_ award that he had long sought after. Even after experiencing racist insults and provocations, he remained impassive and built his very first restaurant in the 8th arrondissement. Right next to the Champs-Elysees, the most beautiful avenue in the world.

She admired his firmness at that time.

They reacquainted themselves two years ago, before the 'Shino's Tokyo' opening. He was back for a few days to talk with his architect. He didn't recognize her at first which offended her. But then they exchanged their phones numbers and tried to keep in touch, or rather _she_ tried. She tried inviting him out for dinners, to watch movies, and even to the museum, but unfortunately he never showed any signs of interest in her. He was rather distant.

But he came back, again, and this time it didn't look like he was leaving soon. Thus she thought that she should try again, and take her chances.

She chuckled and lied down, before fading off to sleep.

⁂

"Good job everyone! And good night!" Hinako gave a cheery wave to the chefs, that were ready to leave.

She helped them clean the kitchen and the dining room earlier. They were somewhat reluctant at first—saying she didn't have to—but the latter had great convincing power.

So after insisting for a few minutes, they finally agreed to let her wipe the tables at least, while they mopped the floor. It almost took an hour but it was kind of fun because she got to know more about some of them. Misaki for example, the chef with the back problems, was a really cute and quirky young woman, with a weird accent too. Weirder than Kojiro's accent when he talked with his mom. She reminded her of Megumi, but of course no one was cuter than sweet Megumi. Kaito, the sous-chef, was more serious and composed. He never said anything unnecessary and was always focused.

Misaki and him seemed to be old acquaintances too. Hinako saw them joking around together today.

But actually Misaki was sweeping the floor inappropriately and Kaito was reprimanding her. Although, he smiled gently and then showed her the proper way to do it, by grabbing her hand and guiding her.

Recalling the scene, Hinako couldn't help but put on a small smile. Their relationship reminded her of Kojiro and her's. She sighed internally. _"But he_ _wouldn't smile like that to me."_

By the way, where did that man run off to ? He didn't even help with the cleaning.

Suddenly, she wanted a little snack and decided to eat something before closing. She couldn't stick to her diet _all_ the time after all...

She walked through the hall leading to the kitchen and noticed the lights were still on, which was odd, since she was the only one left. When she went in, she understood why.

"You're still here senpai ?" she asked cautiously, as she didn't want to surprise him.

He didn't move an inch, still bent over the counter, reviewing the ingredients of whatever dish he was preparing. She recognized it instantly as she knew all of his dishes. It was the Nine Vegetable Terrine, the French dish using nine different kind of vegetables basked in a gelatinous compound. It was actually her favorite... not like she ever told him.

"This one is not even on the menu." she approached him, not wanting to be ignored.

"Well that's why I'm doing it now, to see whether it can or not." he responded. "But I don't know if those chefs could handle it..."

"Oh come on I'm sure they'll do a good job. Isn't that the dish you presented during the training camp? It went well, didn't it?"

"I didn't know a dish you never got to taste left that big of a mark on you." he changed his tone into a more stingy one, as he lifted his gaze from his dish to glare at her.

She beamed, glad to get his attention. Now she could mess with him a little bit, her favorite thing to do.

"That's also when you lost your shokugeki to Yukihira-kun, right?" she shot back innocently, clasping her hands together.

As expected, he took the bait. He dropped the knife he was holding and scowled at her.

"I didn't lose, idiot. Dojima Chef only pointed out-"

"The worst part about this is that you could have avoided it if you weren't so self centered." she sighed.

Hinako was suddenly interrupted when she received a hand-chop to her head. Something he usually did to shut her up.

"Get out, you're bothering me." he said as she shook in pain.

"I-I'm sorry! Sorry! I'll stay quiet, I promise." she voiced, though there was a still hint of mischief in her voice.

He had wasted enough time anyways and he still had to emphasise some tastes. He glanced down at Hinako who was muttering some things under her breath, probably insulting him, not that he cares. She settled herself next to him, as he caught a whiff of her perfume. It was a subtle hint of vanilla and lotus flower. It was fresh and vibrant and left a nice fragrance flowing behind with the wind. She always had that scent. It wasn't like he was sniffing or something. It was just easy to perceive, especially since she was always clinging on to him.

Somehow he remembered the day she hugged him. He had caught it at that moment too, which had immediately soothed him. Well it _wasn't unpleasant_ either so...

"Geez." her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "I don't know why I even agreed to lend you a hand in here. I'm only doing this because of Kaoru oba-san and baa-baa." she spoke up, as she looked at him expectantly.

He couldn't help but smirk at the remark.

"Huh ? Wasn't it you who arrived here one hour before us 'cause you were 'too excited' ?" he lifted his eyebrow.

She blushed with embarrassment. "You're annoying." she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." he retorted as he went back to work.

Hinako frowned at him. Of course he would act like that, that jerk. And now, he was ignoring her again. Tired, she propped up her chin with her elbow on the table.

She stared at him, thinking about how he easily got her into Komorebi's kitchen. " _You're gonna run my grandmother's restaurant with me tomorrow."_ he said last night on the phone. _"Don't ask questions."_

She obviously bombarded him while he avoided most of them, grumbling something like a sick chef and his grandmother having no other options. His grandmother eventually snatched the phone from his hand and kindly explained the situation to her, asking for her consent.

There was clearly no way she would decline, not only because an elder directly asked it to her, but also because she was glad to be of any help for Shinomiya or his family.

Still pensive, she looked at his face, and seemed distracted for a moment. Kojiro still looked the same. Reflective, confident, and must she say, _class_. His smooth coral-colored hair that reached the back of his neck, his amber eyes spaced evenly apart under his glasses, a sensitive nose hooked over constantly closed and full lips. Not to mention his silver hoop earring that rendered him... enticing.

She had always known that he wasn't plain but she doubted that he was aware of it. And sometimes she simply forgot...

So, there were some quiet times like now, when she would discreetly watch him, and admire the senpai she had grown to respect.

"You know, if you stay so uptight your relationships won't last very long." she shrugged.

He took his phone out to check the time. It was already 8 p.m.

"Couldn't fail to disagree with you less than I already don't." he stated. "And it's not a priority, Chef."

She tittered in response.

"Exactly what I'm saying. Maybe you should try to open up a bit senpai."

He sighed. She was definitely trying to get on his nerves, but that wasn't a problem ; he was almost finished. If she wanted to play that game, he was _in_.

"Is that so?" he spoke up, "Wouldn't that be bad news for you if I had a girlfriend?"

She frowned, giving him the most shocked look she could while he laughed on the inside. He was going to win this argument.

"What do you mean?"

"If I had a woman in my life, you wouldn't spend your time pestering me, which you seem to enjoy. I should probably hurry then."

Hinako was about to yell at him to blow his impudence off when she paused to think about it. It was true that if he got to date a woman, she would've surely steered her away. It didn't really seem like it, but she liked to keep in touch with her friends. She and Fuyumi called each other sometimes, but she'd always been more attached to him. It was already frustrating enough that he rarely contacted her when he was away, so, if by any chance he appeared to be engaged to someone, he wouldn't pay attention to her anymore. Somehow, thinking about it was... hard to take.

She didn't realize she was whispering out loud.

"I guess it would've bothered me a bit..." she lowered her tone.

The rhythm of his whisk accidentally faltered. Looked like he didn't expect that.

She realized what she said as she raised her head up to him.

 _"_ _Oh god what did I just say?"_ she shrunk down.

She felt awkward silence but didn't know what to say.

So she stared back at him. She expected him to screw his face up but she that's not what she saw. The bemusement weakened in his eyes, replaced with something else. Curiousity? Perplexity? She had no idea.

Their gazes suddently repelled like equal polarities.

She backed away, stirred by their proximity, if her blush was any indication.

"Well." she tried to make her voice sound calm. But she failed. "It's getting late, I'd better get going and let you finish."

She heard him clear his throat. She wanted to look back at him, but she couldn't meet up his eyes no more.

"Yeah, you can do that." he spoke nonchalantly, making her feel ridiculous.

⁂

Kazuma took his coat and walked through the station to leave. The cold that seemed mild at first, now numbed his face and extremities. Winter was coming soon.

"I'm not going to say this again sir ! Seriously, calm down or you'll regret it later." an officer shouted as Kazuma stopped in his tracks to watch them.

Apparently a man had erupted through the door to file a complaint.

"Sir." the man paused. "You _cannot_ understand. Someone _stole_ my car and I might lose my job now! Do your _damn_ job for once and-"

"What's going on?" Kazuma eyed him.

"Inspector..." the officer backed off, feeling a bit relieved that he came.

"Somebody stole my car sir." the man defended himself, ignoring the threatening stares on him. "I'm a taxi driver and as you can see, I'll lose my job if I don't find it within one week."

Kazuma glued his eyes on him and frowned.

"Now leave." three or four officers surrounded him as one of them took handcuffs out to blackmail him. "The police officer in charge of your complaint will get in touch with you in the next few days, just wait."

"What?" he blurted out. "And how many days is this? You realize that I'm a family man, right?"

"We get it sir, and we're sorry to hear it but you're not the only one with problems in this city. So please be patient." one of them spoke up.

"But-"

"Do you mind if I ask your name?" Kazuma cut him off as he approached him.

He glared at him for a second.

"Amari Shunsuke."

* * *

⁂


	4. It really is a nice place here

**_Notes_** : Bonjour people. You guys are the best! All this feedback is really pleasant. We're glad to know so many of you are interested. This story might go into a little break again (back at it again with the work avalanche..) but it's okay, don't worry.

So as you can see, there are new characters in this fiction. Tsukuda has only presented us a few of the former Elite Ten ; Shinomiya being the first seat, Fuyumi and Hinako being the second seats. So here is our non-canon third seat, Leonov Kaede (from Hinako's generation).

On to chapter four !

Pravil'no (Правильно) means : Correct.

This chapter is rated M.

* * *

Hamasaki Kazu was an efficient man. Everyone agreed on that. He was very well known, respected in his workplace, and confident in his ability to do his job. The one thing he knew was, the more eyes peering at a mystery, the greater chance of it being solved. Most of the time he was serious and strict with his fellow officers. Except when he stepped out of the station at the end of the day. He was pretty chill and fun after work.

"Sir !"

His underling's voice made him jump.

"Sorry, what ?" he spoke, as he turned to her. Her eyes rested on him in concern. "H-Have you eaten today ? Are you okay ?"

"Yeah, I'm decent. Is there anything new on the case ?" he asked matter-of-factly. She eyed him doubtfully before she handed him multiple copies of the same picture. It was a passport-size photo of a woman.

"We went to the airport this morning and asked the check-in staff to tell us more about the flight Aiko Suzuki was on." she explained. "It's her."

He looked closely at it for a few seconds and said, "They don't look alike."

"... Who and who ?"

"Did they tell you who she was travelling with ?"

"Apparently she had two kids with her..." she replied, with a tone genuinely confused. Thus the inspector crossed his arms and smirked, as if he hit something. "The woman I interviewed that night had short black hair and wore bangs. And she was whispering, knowing that I couldn't hear her well with the firemen's siren behind. As if she tried to hide her voice." he pondered. "And she told me she was travelling _alone_." he continued.

"... So one of them is an imposter ?" she assumed.

"Not _one_ of them, it's pretty obvious. But for now, do as I say."

⁂

She ran her fingers down his spine, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them. Kaede let herself sink deeper into the kiss as he groaned softly, his arms circling her and savouring her lips. She inhaled sharply, allowing his tongue to caress hers. "I'll never get tired of this..." Kaede whispered softly as she pressed her lips to his again.

Leonov Kaede was the former third seat of Totsuki's eightieth generation. Russian from her father, she decided to start her own russian restaurant chain in Tokyo and appeared to be successful. Right now... she was sharing a heated moment with her boyfriend.

His hand dropped to her thigh as she chuckled quietly.

Their kiss was so sudden that they didn't take the time to turn off the TV which was displaying a few breaking news.

"-here is the top story about the on going election campaign in..."

She eased her hands accross his shoulders and took his jacket off while he gently kissed her collarbone...

"-at another point nearby, the newly opened restaurant called the Shino's burned in arson attack three days ago."

She suddently stopped—killing all the tension—though he was still ogling her. "Honey.." she breathed, "Wait." the blond woman turned to face the tv. There were ashes images sliding on the screen, sticked on the blackened walls. Though the restaurant didn't burn down to its skeleton; it was ugly to watch, but not _that_ unsightly. "The Shino's..?" she pondered. "Isn't it Shinomiya-san's..."

"What's wrong ?" he frowned, misunderstanding the situation a bit.

She recalled a few memories of her high school years and withdrew for a second. She remembered when she put her hair in bunches at the back of her head because she thought it fitted the shape of her head. Oh, and that teacher named Chapelle-sensei. A lot of teachers couldn't stand her... but _he_ was a hurricane. And it was mutual, she _couldn't_ forget him.

"Kaede !"

"Y-Yeah ?" she smiled and turned back to him as he lifted his eyebrow. "Excuse me, excuse me." she exaggerated a sad expression. "Who's Shinomiya-san ?" he loosened his hold. She took his hands back and placed one of them on her chest. "It's nobody, _just_ an old acquaintance..." she stared at him, as she rubbed his palm with her thumb to which he pouted slightly. He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "We should turn it off this time." he winked at her as he took the remote and pointed it at the television. "Pravil'no." she replied.

Kaede chuckled again and jumped up to seat on the dining table she was leaning on seconds ago. She adopted a more opened-legged stance in invitation, and joyfully threw her arms wide at him.

When they finally set a stable and quiet mood, they resumed their kissing. A kiss that had blown in so randomly.

He bent his head into her neck and slowly unbuttonned her blouse while she helped him by pulling her arms from the sleeves.

He sat up, kissed her stomach and went up to her lips again.

Needless to say that they lost themselves in the heat of the moment.

⁂

What did it feel like to have an audience all around you in the kitchen ? The answer was...

" _They're a pain in the a ss..._ " Kojiro ruminated.

" _Great !_ " Hinako smiled. " _They're so sweet !_ "

In the huge kitchen of Komorebi were two poles. The young cooks willing to improve their cooking skills after seeking advice from Hinako. And the other half _expecting_ to discover new recipes and cooking techniques from Kojiro.

"It's Shinomiya-sama's son !"

He tried to ignore the quiet voices behind him.

"Yeah ! He's handsome, isn't he ?" the cooks giggled. "And talented !" someone else joined in the whispering. "He's much more composed than Mori-san.. I wish he could come here and take a leaf out of his book." 'Mori-san' was their superior's name. And also the chef who got sick at the wrong time...

He suddently shoved two plates accross the countertop as their expression changed.

Sweat slowly ran down their faces. "The mushroom risotto and _la bouillabaisse_ are ready to be served." he didn't bother looking up.

They all paused as if their thoughts had stopped completely. The onions were finely chopped, the rice looked fresh, filled with wild and juicy mushrooms. The air was saturated with spicy perfume, forcing them to watch it as if they hadn't eaten for weeks. As for the bouillabaisse, it was a traditional french dish originating from the port city of Marseille. It smelled rich, promising a delightful taste. "Shut up and do your job instead of talking trash about your colleague." he continued with a venomous glance.

"Y-Yes sir..!" they all quickly scattered away.

Yup, Hinako was right when she said that he couldn't connect with people. Abel, Gao and Lucie were lucky people as we could see. Speaking of which, they've had a little confrontation with Kojiro and his family earlier in the morning :

 _"_ _What the heck ?" Lucie tensed up._

 _"These are even tighter than Shinomiya Chef's..." Gao mentionned the ropes that vigorously bound them to the chairs they were tied up on._

 _"This is embarrassing..." Abel shook his head._

 _"The moment of truth has arrived." grandma gave them a patronizing look. She was the one who had them immobilized._

 _They had been lured to Kojiro's place, thinking that they were invited. "Chef, what is the meaning of this ?" Abel looked up at him, confused._

 _"I'm sorry, but I don't know who I can trust." Kojiro clarified as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "And I wanna make sure that you three at least, are loyal to me."_

 _"What ? We're gonna go through a second interrogation ?" Lucie shivered. "We would never do that, you know it." Gao defended herself._

 _"I know." he responded. "'Cause we already found the culprit."_

 _"What !" they all said in unison._

 _It was impossible._

 _The air became suddently so brittle it could snap._

 _"Seriously ?" Lucie shouted even louder. "Who is it ?" Abel followed suit._

 _Kojiro and his grandma stared at each other for a second, and nodded._

 _"That two-faced witch." grandma narrowed her eyes. "To think that I even invited her in my own house." she clenched her fist._

 _"Who ?" Gao frowned._

 _"It's Hinako." Kojiro declared, trying to mask his emotions._

 _He watched their faces change and express shock as he gritted his teeth. Inui Hinako, one of Kojiro's closest friend, his confidant. Her betrayal wasn't easy to accept and there was no right way to accept it. "Inui Chef ?.." Lucie repeated on but couldn't believe her ears. "No way..." Gao suddently felt teary... and upset. Abel was at a loss for words._

 _"Yes my dear. But luckily she's in custody right now." grandma added. "The police arrested her yesterday. All clues seem to point to her but apparently she wasn't alone that night, or so she says." she continued._

 _"Wait so she confessed ..?" Gao exclaimed, as if she still had hope that all of this was a mistake. "Yes she did. Or maybe you know something we don't ?" grandma raised her eyebrow. "No..." she lowered her tone._

 _"So Inui-san's the one who stole our restaurant from us.." Abel's voice was poison._

 _"You're the only ones I've informed when I was coming, besides my family. So I know you have something to do with this." Kojiro spoke up, to which their eyes widened in a 'i'm-not-guilty' expression. "After what she's done I'm ready to get her deeper into water, but I want the truth."_

 _"But-" Lucie started only to be cut by Kojiro's grandma. "Look at this." she held up a sheet of lined paper._

 _"The prosecutor accepted to give you immunity." Kojiro noted. "Now tell me the truth. What happened friday night ?" he emphasised each word._

 _None of them talked._

 _But the sheer wrath in Kojiro's eyes made them nervous. Kojiro had always been an inspiration, a guide, and a friend for them. From Paris to Tokyo, the bond they had formed and shared over the years was real, and it was wholesome. "I didn't do it, believe it or not." Abel said, unsure of what to say. "Me neither. And I'm sure that Inui-san's covering someone..." Lucie voiced, tears of pain running down her face. "You should give her that immunity instead. You know very well that she isn't capable of this.." Gao spoke, shifting her gaze to the floor._

 _Kojiro simply glared at them, expressionless._

 _But after a few seconds, the corner of his mouth twitched into his cheek._

 _"Bravo !" grandma applaused as she swiftly untied the ropes. "You're very austere Kojiro, but you surround yourself with good people at least."_

 _"Huh ?" Lucie blinked. Gao and Abel stared at them in a questionning way. What just happened ?_

 _"You've passed." Kojiro said briefly "We've made that up to test you."_

 _"Whew, bad mouthing Hinako was harsh." grandma removed drops of sweat off her face. "This immunity stuff is just a blank paper. See ?" she took it out of its folder._

 _They gave them a blank stare... That was too much..._

 _"Their acting skills... are on point." Kaoru thought as she had watched the whole scene in silence._

 _"I guess I can trust you from now on."_

On the other side of the room, Hinako was putting on a mist show.

"Don't forget to check on the chicken, your dish may be done before you know it." she stated. "Yes ma'am !"

She artistically cut dozens of cucumbers and rubbed the slices in salt. "Can someone take care of the soy broth ?" she exclaimed, without taking her eyes off her knife.

"Okay !"

"One sukiyaki is ready to be served !" she continued.

Steam was filling the place, and licking every corner of it. Everyone seemed to become silhouettes against a blanket of white. And the sweet aroma was carried in it, topping Kojiro's spicy fragrance. The only one who could be seen shining was Hinako, the Mist Empress.

Kojiro was observing her out of the corner of his eye.

She worked in perfect coordination with the other cooks. She had been so annoying with Kojiro these last few years that he even forgot what her serious mode looked like.

He forgot her _one_ asset that blew her up to the second seat at Totsuki.

"The chicken's tender now !" one of them yelled. "Thanks ! Now sprinkle sesame on it to garnish it a little." she said softy. "I'll do it !" a young man called out. "No stay here." Hinako stopped him. "Let her do it and help me out with the soba I'm starting, please." she gave him a smile. "A-Alright."

She could easily spot the strengths and weaknesses of the chefs she partnered up with. And that in a short amount of time. She was also called an empress because she knew how to lead a team of people she didn't know, and hold them together.

"Why though ?" he asked.

"That chef." Hinako replied, "She's new isn't she ?"

"Yeah. But if she wasn't skilled enough my boss would've not hired-"

"She has back pain too, right ?" she continued. The cooked nodded, disbelief around his lips and eyes. "Wait... Don't tell me she started to complain _in front_ of you ?" he widened his eyes. "No, not at all." Hinako shook her hand up and down. "I only noticed her way of walking, and she's got flat feet. Although it's not uncommon, 'cause I'm like that too." she scratched the back of her head. "She doesn't stand with proper posture as well so I think she shouldn't help us out with tough dishes like soba. But I'll make sure to give her tips to improve, at the end of the day." she explained.

"Oh..." was all he could utter.

"Back pain can set in easily, and yup, it's _really_ sharp."

Looks like she knew more than a little bit on this subject.

And so they kept the momentum going, and cooked like that for hours.

⁂

"Is everything fine sir ?" Kaoru knocked in the door. The hotel rater had arrived less than an hour ago and demanded to stay in the room 201, that apparently, had a nice view. "You can go downstairs anytime, lunch's ready." she voiced.

"Don't worry about me, I'm good." he replied. "It really _is_ a nice place here." he noted.

It looked like his words had made her day. "Thank you so much." she grinned behind the closed door. She turned away to leave when she suddently heard a loud thud against the bedroom door.

"H-Hey, are you okay ?" she rushed back.

"Y-Yeah... Sorry, I'm a little tired..."

"Right.."

She left with a questionning look on her face..

⁂

Kojiro took a little break to quench his thirst. But of course, the fridge was placed in Hinako's 'area'. He had a bad feeling about this.

That's when Hinako suddently sneered, and whispered into the sous-chef's hear. "Oho~ our traditional dishes are _way_ better than Shinomiya-senpai's fancy cuisine."

"Huh ?" the sous-chef blurted out in confusion.

"But let's be honest, all this bragging is unnecesary considering the-"

She was cut off when Kojiro immediately grabbed her head and lifted her up in the air. "S-Sorry." she gasped out as she wiggled her feet at him.

"What the ?!" the sous-chef panicked and dropped his wooden spoon. The other ones gathered around them, watching what was going on.

"I could see where this was going." Kojiro stated, to which she grunted more. "Let me go Shinomiya-senpai ! How violent ! How shamele-"

"Be quiet. Why can't you just be normal for once ?" he shot back, as he nonchalantly gulped a mouthful of water from a mini bottle.

"I-Inui Chef ?" a few cooks stammered, not sure if they should, or even, _could_ intervene.

" _En passant_ , I can overhear compliments about my 'fancy cuisine' in there." he mentionned the dining room in which his french dishes were added to the kaiseki ; a multi-course meal. "Well that's because they don't expect to eat french food in a ryokan." she shrugged, a trace of smugness in her voice.

"Which is why it highlights today's meal." he replied confidently as he put her down. "And tomorrow's."

" _Finally !_ " they all thought together.

She gritted her teeth in silence. "Fine ! We'll make a poll tonight then !" she shouted. He raised a brow at that. "Which type of cuisine conquered their hearts today." she continued as she crossed her arms.

He smirked as he returned back to work. "You've got some nerve." he scoffed. "I hope you won't challenge the results at the end."

"W-Wait is this a contest ?!" the sous-chef shouted.

"What's going on here..." another chef chipped in.

"Tch." Hinako bit her lip and turned back to her soba. She threw a ball of dough together, and kneaded it with surprising strength.

"So fast !" a few of them exclaimed.

"Maybe she can handle it alone..." the sous-chef sighed and picked up his wooden spoon.

⁂

"Thank you very much. I look forward to hearing from you shortly." Mei hanged up the phone. She'd just ordered food supplies—such as fortune cookies and noodles—for the next day.

She sighed, leaning back on her bed with her eyes closed.

She didn't work on Monday afternoons so she took this opportunity to relax and release pressure a bit.

She opened her eyes and caught her reflection in the mirror, which was facing the bed. She stared into her short, black hair, with one side smashed from the pressure of her head against the pillow. "My bangs are starting to grow out." she noted as she pulled a string of her hair and looked at its length. "I should get a haircut."

Not to mention that Shinomiya, her toughest rival in the corner, was back.

And she couldn't deny that he was good-looking. And that she often thought about spending more time with him.

She had already met him a few years ago in Paris, where she studied food sciences. They met in a random restaurant where she was completing an internship. Both of them were Totsuki alumni, from different countries, Japan and China. They rarely talked to each other due to his unfaltering determination. Sometimes she found it scary, but, he was _a true ace_. The two of them had managed to catch the headchef's attention, with their skills. Since Totsuki graduates had naturally frightening presences.

He was different though.

She always felt like a pufferfish, able to protect herself from the predators by turning into a ball shape. But with Kojiro, she was forced to check at the surface lest him, the eagle, plunged down.

That's how he received the _Pluspol_ award that he had long sought after. Even after experiencing racist insults and provocations, he remained impassive and built his very first restaurant in the 8th arrondissement. Right next to the Champs-Elysees, the most beautiful avenue in the world.

She admired his firmness at that time.

They reacquainted themselves two years ago, before the 'Shino's Tokyo' opening. He was back for a few days to talk with his architect. He didn't recognize her at first which offended her. But then they exchanged their phones numbers and tried to keep in touch, or rather _she_ tried. She tried inviting him out for dinners, to watch movies, and even to the museum, but unfortunately he never showed any signs of interest in her. He was rather distant.

But he came back, again, and this time it didn't look like he was leaving soon. Thus she thought that she should try again, and take her chances.

She chuckled and lied down, before fading off to sleep.

⁂

"Good job everyone! And good night!" Hinako gave a cheery wave to the chefs, that were ready to leave.

She helped them clean the kitchen and the dining room earlier. They were somewhat reluctant at first—saying she didn't have to—but the latter had great convincing power.

So after insisting for a few minutes, they finally agreed to let her wipe the tables at least, while they mopped the floor. It almost took an hour but it was kind of fun because she got to know more about some of them. Misaki for example, the chef with the back problems, was a really cute and quirky young woman, with a weird accent too. Weirder than Kojiro's accent when he talked with his mom. She reminded her of Megumi, but of course no one was cuter than sweet Megumi. Kaito, the sous-chef, was more serious and composed. He never said anything unnecessary and was always focused.

Misaki and him seemed to be old acquaintances too. Hinako saw them joking around together today.

But actually Misaki was sweeping the floor inappropriately and Kaito was reprimanding her. Although, he smiled gently and then showed her the proper way to do it, by grabbing her hand and guiding her.

Recalling the scene, Hinako couldn't help but put on a small smile. Their relationship reminded her of Kojiro and her's. She sighed internally. _"But he_ _wouldn't smile like that to me."_

By the way, where did that man run off to ? He didn't even help with the cleaning.

Suddenly, she wanted a little snack and decided to eat something before closing. She couldn't stick to her diet _all_ the time after all...

She walked through the hall leading to the kitchen and noticed the lights were still on, which was odd, since she was the only one left. When she went in, she understood why.

"You're still here senpai ?" she asked cautiously, as she didn't want to surprise him.

He didn't move an inch, still bent over the counter, reviewing the ingredients of whatever dish he was preparing. She recognized it instantly as she knew all of his dishes. It was the Nine Vegetable Terrine, the French dish using nine different kind of vegetables basked in a gelatinous compound. It was actually her favorite... not like she ever told him.

"This one is not even on the menu." she approached him, not wanting to be ignored.

"Well that's why I'm doing it now, to see whether it can or not." he responded. "But I don't know if those chefs could handle it..."

"Oh come on I'm sure they'll do a good job. Isn't that the dish you presented during the training camp? It went well, didn't it?"

"I didn't know a dish you never got to taste left that big of a mark on you." he changed his tone into a more stingy one, as he lifted his gaze from his dish to glare at her.

She beamed, glad to get his attention. Now she could mess with him a little bit, her favorite thing to do.

"That's also when you lost your shokugeki to Yukihira-kun, right?" she shot back innocently, clasping her hands together.

As expected, he took the bait. He dropped the knife he was holding and scowled at her.

"I didn't lose, idiot. Dojima Chef only pointed out-"

"The worst part about this is that you could have avoided it if you weren't so self centered." she sighed.

Hinako was suddenly interrupted when she received a hand-chop to her head. Something he usually did to shut her up.

"Get out, you're bothering me." he said as she shook in pain.

"I-I'm sorry! Sorry! I'll stay quiet, I promise." she voiced, though there was a still hint of mischief in her voice.

He had wasted enough time anyways and he still had to emphasise some tastes. He glanced down at Hinako who was muttering some things under her breath, probably insulting him, not that he cares. She settled herself next to him, as he caught a whiff of her perfume. It was a subtle hint of vanilla and lotus flower. It was fresh and vibrant and left a nice fragrance flowing behind with the wind. She always had that scent. It wasn't like he was sniffing or something. It was just easy to perceive, especially since she was always clinging on to him.

Somehow he remembered the day she hugged him. He had caught it at that moment too, which had immediately soothed him. Well it _wasn't unpleasant_ either so...

"Geez." her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "I don't know why I even agreed to lend you a hand in here. I'm only doing this because of Kaoru oba-san and baa-baa." she spoke up, as she looked at him expectantly.

He couldn't help but smirk at the remark.

"Huh ? Wasn't it you who arrived here one hour before us 'cause you were 'too excited' ?" he lifted his eyebrow.

She blushed with embarrassment. "You're annoying." she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." he retorted as he went back to work.

Hinako frowned at him. Of course he would act like that, that jerk. And now, he was ignoring her again. Tired, she propped up her chin with her elbow on the table.

She stared at him, thinking about how he easily got her into Komorebi's kitchen. " _You're gonna run my grandmother's restaurant with me tomorrow."_ he said last night on the phone. _"Don't ask questions."_

She obviously bombarded him while he avoided most of them, grumbling something like a sick chef and his grandmother having no other options. His grandmother eventually snatched the phone from his hand and kindly explained the situation to her, asking for her consent.

There was clearly no way she would decline, not only because an elder directly asked it to her, but also because she was glad to be of any help for Shinomiya or his family.

Still pensive, she looked at his face, and seemed distracted for a moment. Kojiro still looked the same. Reflective, confident, and must she say, _class_. His smooth coral-colored hair that reached the back of his neck, his amber eyes spaced evenly apart under his glasses, a sensitive nose hooked over constantly closed and full lips. Not to mention his silver hoop earring that rendered him... enticing.

She had always known that he wasn't plain but she doubted that he was aware of it. And sometimes she simply forgot...

So, there were some quiet times like now, when she would discreetly watch him, and admire the senpai she had grown to respect.

"You know, if you stay so uptight your relationships won't last very long." she shrugged.

He took his phone out to check the time. It was already 8 p.m.

"Couldn't fail to disagree with you less than I already don't." he stated. "And it's not a priority, Chef."

She tittered in response.

"Exactly what I'm saying. Maybe you should try to open up a bit senpai."

He sighed. She was definitely trying to get on his nerves, but that wasn't a problem ; he was almost finished. If she wanted to play that game, he was _in_.

"Is that so?" he spoke up, "Wouldn't that be bad news for you if I had a girlfriend?"

She frowned, giving him the most shocked look she could while he laughed on the inside. He was going to win this argument.

"What do you mean?"

"If I had a woman in my life, you wouldn't spend your time pestering me, which you seem to enjoy. I should probably hurry then."

Hinako was about to yell at him to blow his impudence off when she paused to think about it. It was true that if he got to date a woman, she would've surely steered her away. It didn't really seem like it, but she liked to keep in touch with her friends. She and Fuyumi called each other sometimes, but she'd always been more attached to him. It was already frustrating enough that he rarely contacted her when he was away, so, if by any chance he appeared to be engaged to someone, he wouldn't pay attention to her anymore. Somehow, thinking about it was... hard to take.

She didn't realize she was whispering out loud.

"I guess it would've bothered me a bit..." she lowered her tone.

The rhythm of his whisk accidentally faltered. Looked like he didn't expect that.

She realized what she said as she raised her head up to him.

 _"_ _Oh god what did I just say?"_ she shrunk down.

She felt awkward silence but didn't know what to say.

So she stared back at him. She expected him to screw his face up but she that's not what she saw. The bemusement weakened in his eyes, replaced with something else. Curiousity? Perplexity? She had no idea.

Their gazes suddently repelled like equal polarities.

She backed away, stirred by their proximity, if her blush was any indication.

"Well." she tried to make her voice sound calm. But she failed. "It's getting late, I'd better get going and let you finish."

She heard him clear his throat. She wanted to look back at him, but she couldn't meet up his eyes no more.

"Yeah, you can do that." he spoke nonchalantly, making her feel ridiculous.

⁂

Kazu took his coat and walked through the station to leave. The cold that seemed mild at first, now numbed his face and extremities. Winter was coming soon.

"I'm not going to say this again sir ! Seriously, calm down or you'll regret it later." an officer shouted as Kazu stopped in his tracks to watch them.

Apparently a man had erupted through the door to file a complaint.

"Sir." the man paused. "You _cannot_ understand. Someone _stole_ my car and I might lose my job now! Do your _damn_ job for once and-"

"What's going on?" Kazu eyed him.

"Inspector..." the officer backed off, feeling a bit relieved that he came.

"Somebody stole my car sir." the man defended himself, ignoring the threatening stares on him. "I'm a taxi driver and as you can see, I'll lose my job if I don't find it within one week."

Kazu glued his eyes on him and frowned.

"Now leave." three or four officers surrounded him as one of them took handcuffs out to blackmail him. "The police officer in charge of your complaint will get in touch with you in the next few days, just wait."

"What?" he blurted out. "And how many days is this? You realize that I'm a family man, right?"

"We get it sir, and we're sorry to hear it but you're not the only one with problems in this city. So please be patient." one of them spoke up.

"But-"

"Do you mind if I ask your name?" Kazu cut him off as he approached him.

He glared at him for a second.

"Amari Shunsuke."

* * *

⁂


	5. Long time no see

_Notes_ : Hey guys! So it's been a year since the last update... Yup... But we plan on finishing this story—we won't leave you hanging guys. Told you the work avalanche was gonna vanquish us. We decided to write two or three chapters ahead to overcome these (very) late update problems. It's so difficult to find a huge amount of free time these days! Especially during this semester bro. Again, thank you for all the follows and the reviews.

You can consider this chapter as the end of the introducing arc and the beginning of the evidence release, along with the perpetrator's true intentions.

Wish you enjoyable reading.

Ps: A man's man's man's world is so intensely beautiful and deep! How did I NOT know that song!

Alright I'm heading out.

* * *

The scene was quite unbelievable, shocking really.

Fuyumi's mind was sent reeling, unable to comprehend or process the images that were being sent to her eyes. She looked away, then looked back to see if it was still there.

A burning rage hissed through her body like deathly poison, screeching a demanding release.

The Ristorante F, had just been burgled. She rushed inside, ignoring the apologies and explanations of her employees.

The windows were gaping holes for the wind to rush in, fragments of broken glass laid over every surface like muddy sand, and most of the furniture was destroyed, like a freight train had just passed.

She breathed in real slow. It couldn't be real...

A dull pang striked her, almost as if her heart was stuck in her throat.

"I-I'm sorry, Chef." Chika voiced as she swallowed hard, sniffing back her tears.

Fuyumi cold-shouldered her, as she trod carefully on the ceramic floor tiles, also damaged. "Who are they?" she pointed with a trembling finger at the men who were apparently here to clean up the mess.

"They said they're from the Light Veil Hotel." Chika answered. "What? Tell me you're lying Chika..." she widened her eyes. She was on the verge of tears, desperately trying to hide it and keep her face and her words stern.

"No she isn't."

She immediately turned around to face that familiar voice.

"Hey." she opened and shut her hand, proud of her little half-assed salutation. "Ieiri-san..." Fuyumi spoke as anger boiled deep in her system. "My, my!" Ieiri began, "Who knew you would go that far to make it tough on us." she paused. "Doing this to your own restaurant."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Fuyumi shouted, her voice cracking up.

"Mizuhara Chef..." Chika voiced.

"Uh-oh... That's not how you should talk to your new boss." she smirked. "Excuse-me?" Fuyumi raised her eyebrow to which her smile widened. "Are you temperamental or something? Here is the contract you signed yesterday, agreeing to be a partner to L.V." she held it up.

Fuyumi moved forward the latter and snatched it away from her hands.

"I've never signed this..." she panted as she grew anxious. "I have never signed this!" she yelled this time.

Fuyumi eyed her for a second, and scoffed. "Now I get it... crazy ass b..."

She caught her head and both slammed into the floor together. Landing on her back, Ieiri grabbed Fuyumi's wrists and scratched them, as Fuyumi held her neck tighter in response.

"H-Hey stop! You're gonna hurt each other! " Chika shouted, but it had no effect.

"You had someone break through my restaurant, find that sheet of paper and fake my signature huh." Fuyumi gasped in dismay.

"Get off of me before I call the police, screw. What are you talking about?" Ieiri mumbled as she rolled her over.

"You think I'm playing at some game?" Fuyumi glared at her.

"Knock it off you two!" one of the men pulled Ieiri back as another one seized Fuyumi's arms to prevent her from moving.

"I have a life you know! I don't know who broke into your restaurant but we got better things to do. Plus Ristorante F belongs to us now! Forged signature or not, I am thoroughly unmoved by your plight." Ieiri snapped.

For a moment, there was no sound. And Fuyumi could even hear her intense heartbeat. She just wanted to close her eyes and go into a dream. Never had she felt so powerless.

As she grunted, Ieiri got up and rearranged her hair as best as she could.

"Don't touch me." Fuyumi ruthlessly ordered to the man. She got up and wrenched her wrists free. "Enjoy it while you got it 'cause I'm suing you people." she said as she made her way out.

"Do whatever the hell you want Mizuhara! As long as I have that signature with me we ain't moving. You better get used to see me as the new leader in here."

And with that, war was declared.

She had not noticed that some of them took the situation as an opportunity to cool down a bit.

"What?! Go back to work immediately!"

⁂

The curtains added an orange glow to the morning light, every morning a perfect sunrise. Kojiro just got out of the shower, finally deciding to adopt a more casual style. He put on a dark grey sweater and black joggers. The white towel, drapped around his neck, stood out in stark contrast against his leaden attire.

"Ah-choo !" grandma scream-sneezed as she blew her nose in a soft tissue. When she was done, she readjusted her surgical mask over her red and swollen nose.

"You caught a cold ?" Kojiro asked as he turned the coffee maker on.

"It's that time of the year again." she replied as her voice crackled.

Kaoru joined them, with a wide smile on her face, humming a random song. Two days had passed since the hotel inspector Komorebi visited.

"It's awfully quiet in here." she shifted her attention to them, looking surprised that her sixty-six years old mother and twenty-eight years old son had not been quarelling before she even woke up. "Is this the calm before the storm or what?"

"Apparently." Kojiro teased, relieved that he would have some peace for a moment.

"You should rest Okaa-san, relax a bit." Kaoru stated when she noticed her mask.

Kojiro's phone suddently vibrated on the table. It was a text from Kazuma, the inspector.

"Is it Hinako?" grandma scoffed.

"I'll have to go to the precinct this afternoon." he ignored her. "For another interrogation?" Kaoru sighed. "Beats me." he said, slowly pouring the coffee in a cup.

"Anyways Kojiro." his mother gently approached him. "Are you ready to discuss this calmly?"

He nodded his consent as they both took seats around the table. They knew they had to have that talk ever since he flew back home. Ever since his restaurant had burned.

"No hurry here, take your time Kojiro."

"I'm good, I want to get that off my chest." he replied.

Kaoru gave him a soft smile—much to her delight—happy to be reunited with her son again.

⁂

"I still can't believe I'm here with you, Mr. Detective." Hinako exclaimed, as she took two sips of the apple juice she had just ordered.

"You've said that ten times already today. And secondly, stop calling me that, we're in public Inui-san." he reminded her that they were in a café, pretending to be old friends.

"My bad, sorry Yoneda-san..." she tittered.

"Anyways" he folded his arms over his chest. "Our enemy is still possibly in Tokyo."

"What? Seriously?" she jumped. She was astonished at hearing this, and much pleased that the investigation was actually moving forward.

"But it's just an assumption. I'm working on how I'll confirm it." he paused. "And it seems like there are two of them."

"How did you come up with this hypothesis so quickly?" she asked in amazement.

"I've worked in the criminal justice long enough to know that an arson is rarely caused by only one person. There's always a willing accomplice and probably one or two witnesses paid for their silence." he calmly explained himself.

She listened to him, tilting her head to the right. Now she had just realized that the more they moved through the investigation and processed, the more the maze stretched itself away. They were in a race against time.

"Plus I've learned that another restaurant has been burgled today. If my intuition is correct, these two crimes are connected."

"Another one? No way..." she frowned, intrigued. "Which one is it?" she asked. "I hope they'll be allowed generous damage awards..."

"The Ristorante F." he said as Hinako's face froze. "I think it's two stops away or so."

"No.." she mumbled, barely moving a muscle in her face. "...impossible."

He noticed her shocked expression before asking, "Do you know more about it?"

"It's Mizuhara-senpai's..."

"Senpai? Another schoolmate of yours?" he sat up and leaned over her.

"She's my friend actually..." she voiced. "I don't get it...she'd invested so much time in it, and she isn't as conceited as Shinomiya-senpai to get herself enemies."

Yoneda stayed silent, wondering if she felt sorry for her schoolmate or if she was just sniping at the salmon-haired man.

"I'm going to check on her." she gabbled on as she grasped her purse and her coat.

"Alright but from now on, you should stake out your own restaurant." he spoke up as he gave her a warning look. She nodded and slowly stood up. "I see.." she said softly, anguish still being heard in her voice.

The café's doorbell eventually tinkled, alerting him that she had left.

⁂

"...So you're telling me that someone's impersonated me?" Shunsuke asked as he spun a pen around his thumb.

The next day he had been summoned to the police precinct. He was immediately leaded to the interrogation room where the inspector was already waiting, coffee in hand.

"That is correct, unfortunately. Four days ago, you were supposed to attend an interview but I had someone else in front of me instead." Kazuma explained in his ever so collected tone as Shunsuke suddenly stopped twirling the pen around. "I believe there aren't two Amari Shunsukes out there, working for the same cab service..." he stated as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Shunsuke suddently began to scratch his fingers on the armrest of the chair he was sitting on.

"What'chu mean? I'm going to jail? I did nothing wrong please... I got mouths to feed-" he defended as he attempted to loosen his body movements.

"Sir, that day you were the one summoned and yet someone else showed up. Why didn't you come?" Kazuma stared him down. If there was anything he hated, it was to avoid saying things directly. "I-I had to go to the hospital! My wife was 'bout to have our third child, I couldn't leave her during the final stages of labor!" he shot back.

"The same day someone hijacked your identity, your wife was giving birth which is why you couldn't come? You should be charged with contempt by the way, sir." Kazuma commented as he handed him a stack of tissues when he saw perspiration dripping down Shunsuke's cheeks. "Now your car is stolen? The timing is too perfect. Come up with a better story alright."

Words left him, his eyes taking in more light than he expected. He had to run away but this place was as guarded and as dull as a prison cell. His silence grew longer. How did he get himself into this?

"A large deposit has been made into your bank account two weeks ago. Did you think they wouldn't report it to us?" Kazuma asked, a rather sarcastic tone in his voice. "Look Amari-san, if we're to communicate, just tell me the truth." he affirmed before briefly pinching the bridge of his nose. He was trying his best to stay calm.

Now even his palms were sweaty and the adrenaline coursing through his system was shutting down his ability to think logically. It was over. A glossy sheen that wasn't there before coated Shunsuke's eyes and his thoughts scattered off. He was going to go to jail, and leave his children and wife confused and torn. All he wanted was his family to lead a comfortable life, if he had known it would come this far he would've never sneaked into the wolf's den.

"I... uhm, I may have been aware of this impersonation stuff..." he muttered as Kazuma leaned forward to listen more closely. "I didn't catch that, speak up." he tilted his head on the side.

"He paid me for my freakin silence okay! Things were a bit tight last month and this man showed up like a knight in shining armor with a big check in hands. What would have you done in my place?" he yelled out.

Kazuma lifted his eyebrow at him.

"Have you seen his face?" he inquired calmly.

"Of course not!" he interjected as he accidentally hit his knee on the table.

"You accept money from strangers?" Kazuma asked in the most shocked way he could.

"No! I mean-..." he finished weakly.

"Okay." he passed his hand over his face. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?" he said as he took a deep breath.

"I already told you what happened man. He signed over a check to me in exchange for my silence. He said he needed my car for a week or so... And he was hiding his face with glasses and a surgical mask." Shunsuke replied. "I wouldn't be able to recognize him even if we were to walk past each other in the streets today."

Kazuma stared at him, at a loss for words. Just what kind of people lived in this city?

"Not only you accept money from strangers but a masked man? What are you on? I'll have you take a test." he eyed him as he took a random sheet of paper out of a drawer.

"What are you talking about? I'm completely sane!" he defended as his frown grew.

"We'll see about that later. Do you still have that check with you?" Kazuma asked without looking at him, writing something down on that paper.

"It's probably somewhere in my house..." Shunsuke mumbled as his gaze shifted to the side.

Kazuma sighed in annoyance to which Shunsuke fidgeted. "You know his name at least, right?" he raised his eyebrow.

"Yeah. It's Abe Ren." Shunsuke quickly answered. "You're sure?" Kazuma inquired although he seemed to ponder something for a bit. "Yes inspector." he nodded as Kazuma narrowed his eyes at him.

"...What?" Shunsuke attempted to read his mind.

"Why would you snitch on him to the police like that? Thought you had a deal?" he continued.

"I thought he'd return the car to me afterwards... Once again, I can't afford to lose my job. The money I received can cover six months' expenses at most." he explained more calmly.

Kazuma just continued to stare... That man was so clueless that it raised the inspector's suspicions around him. "Can I leave now?" Shunsuke begged.

"No." was Kazuma's immediate response. "I'm holding you for forty-eight hours sir. We can't leave you strolling through the streets like that." he affirmed as he got up from his chair.

"No..." Shunsuke mumbled. "No! W-Wait!" he shouted out as he swiftly got up, making the chair fall backwards. "You ain't gonna lock me up are you? That's not fair! You told me I was here just to answer a few questions!" he panicked as two officers entered the room.

"You are suspected of commiting arson sir. You are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so but whatever you say will be put into writing and may be given in evidence." Kazuma stated as he made his way out.

"You don't have the right to do this! I'm innocent..." he yelled as the two men pressed him against the table and handcuffed him behind his back. "Get your fucking hands off me!" he cried out loud.

"Officer Uno." Kazuma motioned for his colleague to come over.

"Inspector." she saluted him respectfully.

"Make researches on this man for me." he said as he handed her a sheet of paper with Abe Ren's name on it. "I want everything you can find out on him."

"Understood." she replied impassively. She was fast, professional and the most reliable among her fellow officers. She had earned Kazuma's trust.

"And I'd also want you to deliver some news through the press for me..." he spoke in a lower voice to which she stared at him in confusion.

⁂

 _"I hope she's not freaking out._ _"_ Hinako thought, as she rushed in the surprisingly uncongested streets of Tokyo. Because the rush hours were a nightmare in Tokyo. _"_ _What are you talking about? Anyone would freak out after that."_

She had called her senpai to reassure her. The latter sounded really tired, speaking in a unstable tone. She explained to her what that Ieiri bi tch had done—Fuyumi's words, not Hinako's—and how she had now lost her ownership. Hinako tried her best to comfort her but there was a far deeper wound in her mind. She avoided talking about the detective Yoneda or his supposition about the interconnected incidents since she didn't want her to worry about a mere theory. Fuyumi stated that she could handle it herself, though it made little sense to Hinako. Why did they all have such gigantic egos?

Fuyumi was actually heading towards the police station to file a claim against these b astards—her senpai's words again...

Hinako suggested to meet up at the municipal park, at more or less three hundred meters from the station. They had not seen each other for quite a long time yet her neutral expression was still fused on her face.

"Mizuhara-senpai!" Hinako cheered, rushing to hug her.

Fuyumi stayed still, her face buried in Hinako's chest. However she didn't push her away. She always behaved like that anyway. "We should get going." Fuyumi straightened her clothes when Hinako released her. "The earlier we get there, the faster we can solve this."

As she walked ahead, Hinako smiled and followed her up.

"Yes!" she exclaimed as she punched the air.

⁂

"Come in." Kazuma instructed right after he heard the knock on the door. And so Kojiro entered. He was _not_ ready to get so suddenly wrapped in that tension that bound the room like a noose.

"Alright..." he whispered to himself as he closed the door.

"Shinomiya." Kazuma greeted him as he motioned for him to have a seat. "How are you doing today?" he asked.

"Pretty good, I might ask you the same." he commented before overhearing a loud feminine shriek coming from the main hall. Boy, what a scream that was. Kojiro disconcertedly stared at the inspector before him, who seemed undisturbed by the issue.

"Happens all the time." Kazuma noted.

"...It's no worse than a glass breaking in the kitchen." Kojiro assured to which Kazuma briefly chuckled.

"Anyhow, we have just arrested a suspect. There was too much going on with that guy..." the inspector informed him. "His name is Amari Shunsuke, he's being held in custody right now. He may or may not be the culprit but he'll most certainly lead us to them."

"He confessed something?" Kojiro asked, crossing his fingers as he rested his hands on the table. "He did admit that he had accepted bribes, but I can't tell you any more." Kazuma clarified much to Kojiro's irritation, but he had no choice but to stay composed, and wait...

"I brought this with me." Kojiro handed him a long brown envelope, thick and heavy with documents. "My insurance company claims that they need a copy of my official police report. The envelope contains other private information they need, only the police has access to." he continued on as Kazuma grabbed it and examined the envelope without opening it. "Of course." Kazuma answered.

He placed it on the desk and thumbed a sticky reminder note on it.

"Now the reason I called you today was to-"

Kazuma was interrupted by another woman's screech. Given that those were soundproof doors, she had epic vocal abilities.

He cleared his throat, and carried on. "...ask you supplementary questions on your-"

"Spank me daddy!" she shouted out to which Kazuma choked up.

"What?" Kojiro nearly jumped in his seat. Now this is why he was growing lazier these days at the idea of coming to the precinct.

Still clutching his chest, Kazuma opened the door to see what the hell was going on outside.

Three officers were here to handle this woman, who refused to get herself handcuffed.

"Officer Hirabayashi! I'm trying to work here!" Kazuma yelled at them, though the blush on his cheek revealed that he was more embarrassed than anything.

"Inspector!" the said officer raised his head as soon as he heard the latter's voice. "Sorry for the display, this chick was already wasted when we brought her here. Public intoxication..." he spoke as he held her wrists lest she attempted to kiss him again.

"Good lord..." Kazuma just looked on, clearly unsure of what to say. "Just lock her up or something!" he exclaimed as the officer raised his thumb up when they had finally put the cuffs on her feet.

He slammed the door shut and sighed as soon as it got quieter.

"My apologies... People of all kinds end up in here." he stated, as he tried his best to hide his blush.

"I see that.." Kojiro reflected.

"So..." Kazuma began when he regained his seat. "Are you sure nobody else knew you were coming to Japan?" he inquired. Because once again, the timing was too perfect. "Only my family and my employees were informed. That makes five persons." Kojiro answered.

"Then either that fire was a coincidence or someone amongst these five people is a turncoat. And I'm convinced that it's the latter." Kazuma opined.

"No, they're the very few I have faith in. I know it isn't them." Kojiro spoke, unaware of his Kyushu accent slipping through. It usually surfaced when he went through a lot of emotions at once or just stress in general. It was an awkward and cute trait most women found attractive. Go figure...

"Sometimes betrayal comes from those whom you trust the most..." Kazuma's tone sounded just as serious...

⁂

"It's freezing in here." Hinako protested, hugging herself tighter. "I mean it's just a matter of time before it snows so why can't they just turn on the heating!" she mumbled as she looked down at her shivery legs.

"It's not like it'll keep us from setting foot here." Fuyumi bluntly reminded.

"And that's what annoys me the most!" she whined, muffling herself in her warm shawl enveloped around her shoulders and chest.

"Oh, looks like an officer is finally ready to hear me out." Fuyumi stated when she noticed Kazuma and Kojiro out of nowhere, walking down the corridor. "Wait... is that Shinomiya?" she squinted her eyes in attempt to see more clearly. "Am I dreaming?"

"You're not." Hinako let out a deep sigh.

As they slowly approached them, Hinako suddenly tensed up as all of her thoughts went on pause. On the other side, Kazuma seemed to have had the same reaction.

"Shinomiya?" Fuyumi called out as she got up from the chair.

"Mizuhara." Kojiro greeted her by giving her a quick chin-up.

She couldn't explain if it was surprise or anger... or both. But she was too lazy to express it at the moment or show any other strong emotions. Not today. So after a short silence, she spoke up.

"I saw the news... I'm sorry." Fuyumi lowered her tone, deciding that it wasn't the time nor the place to argue. And Kojiro internally blessed her for that.

"Thanks." was all he could say. "What are you two doing here?" he allowed himself to ask.

Hinako and Kazuma stared back at each other for what seemed like hours until she finally dropped her gaze. Then she looked back up at him, a gentle flush of pink rising in her cheek that made her look vulnerable. Likewise, Kazuma wondered why he always had to lose his collectedness in moments like these. He crossed his arms and pretended to clear his throat, failed, and began to cough.

Kojiro was eyeing them from the side, realizing how exceptionally awkward they were.

"Filing a claim." Fuyumi unknowingly cut through the atmosphere, "and she wanted to come with me." she said as if she wanted the brunette to explain herself. Hinako was still in complete silence... and had her eyes set on that officer Fuyumi didn't know.

Fuyumi and Kojiro questioningly glanced at each other, and then looked back at them.

"Something wrong?" Kojiro turned to face Kazuma to which he fidgeted.

"Oh me? Sorry, nothing.." he rebutted, raising his hand to scratch the back of his neck. "long time no see..." he muttered to himself, but loudly enough for the Mist Empress to hear.

"Yeah, it's been a while..." she quickly replied.

"Yeah..."

Silence hung in the air like the suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground. If she could dig herself into a hole she would have already been inside earth's core.

"Uhm, you said you wanted to fill a claim, right?" he turned to Fuyumi to which she nodded. "Please come this way." he told her in a polite and professional manner as he walked away.

She followed him down the hallway, leaving Kojiro and Hinako behind. His gaze made her uncomfortable, and as it was undoubtedly his purpose, she ignored him as much as possible.

"Mizuhara-senpai! I'll wait for you right here!" she uttered.

"No you can leave, I don't know how much time it'll take. See you." the shorter woman spontaneously snubbed off her good waves. Hinako... blinked.

Before disappearing from her sight, Kazuma turned to look into her face one more time, as though he had more to say. After blinking again, she lowered her gaze and blushed.

"I'll make myself scarce then..." she whispered as she unsuccessfully tried to escape from Kojiro.

"Hey, what was that?" Kojiro grabbed her shoulder as she shivered in fear. "What are you talking about?" she tittered and waved him away with a don't-be-silly snort.

"What's the matter with you? How do you know the inspector of my case?" he inquired.

"I-I don't- wait, Kazu's the one in charge of your case?" she suddenly exclaimed. "How come I didn't know that?"

He gave her the most deadpan expression he could muster. He really thought she acted like a cartoon at times.

"You didn't answer." he cut her.

Oh no, she was starting to stretch a smile on. That malicious grin he couldn't stand. Like she was holding all the right cards but didn't go in for the kill. Because he knew she was about to say-

"What, senpai? You're jealous now?" she gibed, poking him in the ribs.

-something stupid.

"Nevermind." he closed his eyes in contemplation and bumped her shoulder as he made his way out of the station.

"Wait! How are things progressing?" she asked as she quickened her pace to catch him up.

"They're progressing." Kojiro replied coldly. "I already told you not to meddle in this, I'm serious Hinako." he said as he got his car keys out of his pocket.

"Well it's too late now since I hired a private investigator." she dropped the hit as she walked to the passenger side door of his car.

Kojiro stopped in his tracks, an uninviting frown tightening accross his forehead. "You did what?" his voice was poison.

"Drop me off at my restaurant will you? I've only been walking for the past two hours." she gave him a pretty nonchalant smile, waiting for him to unlock the door.

"Hinako seriously..." he glared at her from the other side, across the roof of the vehicle.

"Told you I wouldn't just sit there and do nothing. Senpai, you must stop thinking that accepting help is a sign of weakness. Especially in this case." she countered.

"Are you kidding me?" Kojiro shouted. "Now tell me why you find it so interesting to add a spook over the entire police crew on this case?" his tone was loud again, drawing the passing people's attention on him. He shut his eyes and pursed his lips when he noticed a group of people stopping by to watch them.

Thus he unlocked the doors to his car as the blinkers flashed briefly. "Why are you getting so mad?" Hinako asked, getting upset on her side as well.

They both entered in and clicked in their seatbelts before the car left with a hissing noise on the road. These confused passengers watched them taking French leave, their expressions making us think that their brains had become spinning tops...

"He's got the police's authorization." Hinako stated, preferring to focus her gaze on the road ahead. "While the entire police crew has thousands of cases to deal with everyday, he works alone and is paid to solve this faster and more discreetly."

"I know." Kojiro replied, his tone softer this time but still firm. "But why do you never listen? I appreciate the sentiment although the person behind all of this is a potentially dangerous criminal. Don't concern yourself with things you'd better to stay away from. Besides, it is illegal for you to have access to all that information." he affirmed.

"I don't care to become a targeted individual in their silly ploy. As long as my adamancy thwarts their efforts to bother our lives, I gladly shall." she retorted earnestly, "and you know, Yoneda-san isn't stupid enough to share too much things with me..." she bitterly answered Kojiro's earlier statement.

But she didn't get an answer. Stopping at the red traffic lights, he kept his attention glued to the road as she thankfully she got the message, and turned to the window. He savored the silence for a moment, after the crazy days he's had lately, until his phone's ringtone broke it. He let out an aggravated sigh _"_ _it never ends"._ He tried to reach for his phone in the backseat, but Hinako beat him to it.

"Don't answer your phone while driving, senpai" she chastised him.

"Give me my-"

"Hello?" she happily interrupted him.

 _"Hinako?" Kaoru answered, "Oh, sweetie I haven't heard from you since the other day!"_

"Hi, Kaoru-oba-san! I know! How have you been?" Hinako cooed, joyfully chatting with her before suddently sounding a bit more worried. "Oh, really?" she voiced! "I'm sorry to hear that... But if you don't mind I know exactly what you need!" she explained, earning herself a mute question from Kojiro.

⁂

There was the noise of a key in the lock and then the door swung open. Kaede quickly removed her shades, and cast her eyes down to the heels she was removing. _"Finally."_ she thought to herself as she kicked off her shoes and left them where they fell.

In her home she inhaled the scent of lavender, the delicate blooms in one of her old jam jars, that brought out the delicate purple hue to the walls. After a long day in the kitchen, returning home felt like a tortoise retracting into its shell. The troubles of the world evaporating.

All she could think of right now was her bed...

She opened the door on her left—which lead to the living room—and seeped into her relaxing moment.

She lied on the couch, turned the television on and wrapped the blanket—she had left creased all day long—around her shoulders.

"now let's hear from Mary who is reporting live at the scene." the journalist announced as the said reporter appeared in the forefront of the screen. "This is Mary, reporting live at a local impound site where an abandoned cab was towed away a few days ago according to its now arrested owner, Amari Shunsuke. This car is said to contain fundamental clues to the on-going investigation of the notable French restaurant's fire, the Shino's." she spoke in an authoritative and over-enunciating voice, according to Kaede, just like every other newscaster.

She grabbed the remote control and flipped through the channels until she found the beginning of a movie. "I should make myself a lil' snack then." she clasped her hands together, deciding that she'd eat hot cereals. Hence, for the kitchen she headed.

She hummed softly to herself as she opened the fridge to pull out a glass bottle of milk. She started with "mmms" and "oohs" knowing full well that she wasn't singing those notes correctly. _"Who cares?"_ she thought. Then she got side-tracked with the cereal box she was searching and shortly after, a spoon she was rinsing. But it wasn't for long. Full volume resumed shortly with the occasional "yeah babys"...

She suddently felt something hard push against the back of her head.

"Don't take another step..." a voice threatened behind her back as she heard the clicking noise of a gun...

Kaede slowly held her hands up, all of her other muscles frozen in place with such a tingling pressure that she was afraid to breathe.

"I said don't move!"

* * *

⁂


End file.
